Things just keep getting weirder...Amazon Studios

There's a 100,000 USD award for best movie.

http://studios.amazon.com/?ref=stu_tw_launch

I'm a bit caucious by nature.
Maybe I'll wait and see what happens.

Here's some fine print in the contest rules:

4. Award. The total award for the Contest is $100,000 USD (the “Contest Award”), which may be split among multiple Eligible Entrants as more fully described below.
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7. Division and Payment of the Contest Award. Unlike some contests in which the entire contest award goes to the entry selected as the winner, we may divide the Contest Award and pay portions of it to different Eligible Entrants in order to recognize multiple Eligible Entrants who may have contributed, in one way or another, to the development of the Best Movie. The Contest Award will be split into an $80,000 USD “Movie Share” and a $20,000 USD “Script Share.” The Movie Share and the Script Share may be divided among the Eligible Entries in the project in which the Best Movie was contributed (the “Best Movie Project”). How the Movie Share and the Script Share are divided depends on whether the content first contributed as the Original Property that formed the Best Movie Project is an Eligible Entry. (“Original Property” is defined in the Amazon Studios Development Agreement, available at http://studios.amazon.com/help/development-agreement.)
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There's more here:
http://studios.amazon.com/legal/Amazon_Studios_January_2011_Movie_Contest_Rules.pdf
 
The biggest thing anyone should be cautious of is that according to their agreement, when you upload a script or animatic (what they're calling a "test movie"), you are agreeing to an EXCLUSIVE 18 month option on the material. That's not something to be taken lightly.
 
Zak Forsman said:
The biggest thing anyone should be cautious of is that according to their agreement, when you upload a script or animatic (what they're calling a "test movie"), you are agreeing to an EXCLUSIVE 18 month option on the material. That's not something to be taken lightly.
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Yeah, I feel like in this day, that is insane. I'm already considering dropping the feature film as a format after LOST CHILDREN due to the super long turnaround time. The whole poo pooing business is different by the time you get done with the movie. And I think we are only part way through this rollercoaster ride, with TV and the Interweb soon to be one beast. For an indie, having amazon sit on a movie for a year and a half is a death sentence for that movie. An option you don't get paid for...and if you are a serious filmmaker, this kind of cattle call seems downright insulting.

Besides which if you really have a great idea, it seems like more and more you can get it seen on your own. From people putting out their VFX-heavy work on YouTube to the Goddamned sitcom based on a twitter feed. Why not take your chances that way, and reserve rights to your script?

And if they think this is going to be a good way to end-run around Hollywood for some fresh ideas, they are in for a rude awakening. Here is the synopsis from the first one I clicked on:

"A soldier must deal with his past when he returns home from fighting the undead after the apocalypse."

LOL!
 
LIBERATION DAY" is about three residents of a retirement home. Former orchestra conductor Kirchhoff illegally keeps a little dog, which is why he is being emotionally terrorized by his neighbor Mr. Foerster. Nobody seems to notice, until one day, Mr. Bender intervenes..."

I think I've got you beat Mark.:shocked:
 
Agreed Mark. My first thought when I read about the 18 month option was: How about if I take my proposal (script, fully produced animatic, etc) directly to Amazon Studios and bypass this game of theirs.
 
Mark Harris said:
Yeah, I feel like in this day, that is insane. I'm already considering dropping the feature film as a format after LOST CHILDREN due to the super long turnaround time. The whole poo pooing business is different by the time you get done with the movie. And I think we are only part way through this rollercoaster ride, with TV and the Interweb soon to be one beast. For an indie, having amazon sit on a movie for a year and a half is a death sentence for that movie. An option you don't get paid for...and if you are a serious filmmaker, this kind of cattle call seems downright insulting.
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No problem, you just have to make a timeless movie that will be enjoyed but the half man-half machine cyborgs of the future .
 
The right to show and distribute it (and scripts and movies based on it) forever. We do not have the right to show it or movies based on it to people in theaters, or on DVD or Blu-Ray, or via linear broadcast or cable TV or a la carte sales or rentals online, except for short clips, but we can keep it up on our website and otherwise distribute it without exercising our option. There is no "delete my stuff" button.
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The Word FOREVER is what really gave me a huge Red Flag... meaning no matter what, say if you decide after the 18 month or so you want to give the script to Speilberg or even better if you shoot it yourself it makes a trillion dollars, they will own it forever... I gotta give them credit for not hiding that forever wording under some fancy lawyer talk LOL, man I've heard of giving your work away for centuries but Forever means, Well forever. Even after the earth doesn't exist and we all relocate to another planet, Amazon will own your work in that another planet LOL, but yeah...

On another note, I feel this could be a great opportunity for filmmakers who may want to roll the dice and get their work out there, yes it's not for everyone but I think it can be beneficial to some. I'm an artist at heart and seeing stuff like this kind of takes away from the whole being an artist thing, but like many have argued before, filmmaking is a business and amazon studios clearly states they are looking for movies that will be commercially succesful.

So this may not be for everyone, but why not polish off an old script you have in your closet and roll the dice... That's ofcourse if you don't mind them owning that script FOREVER!!!:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
well, let's be careful here. If my understanding is correct, they wouldn't own it forever, but by uploading it, you grant them the right to exhibit that script or animatic and derivative works (rewrites and revisions by community members) on their site forever. if they wanted to buy it and produce it as a motion picture, they have to exercise that option within 18 months, or pay you $10,000 to extend the option another 18 months. but yeah, regardless of that, anything you put up there will likely be up there for the duration of this endeavor.

the real opportunity for good storytellers here is to keep an eye on some of the better works that go up there, and then do a rewrite or revision to it and have your version surpass the original. if that version wins the monthly prize, you get up to 50% of the prize money. which is fairly substantial for animatics.
 
Zak Forsman said:
well, let's be careful here. If my understanding is correct, they wouldn't own it forever, but by uploading it, you grant them the right to exhibit that script or animatic and derivative works (rewrites and revisions by community members) on their site forever. if they wanted to buy it and produce it as a motion picture, they have to exercise that option within 18 months, or pay you $10,000 to extend the option another 18 months. but yeah, regardless of that, anything you put up there will likely be up there for the duration of this endeavor.

the real opportunity for good storytellers here is to keep an eye on some of the better works that go up there, and then do a rewrite or revision to it and have your version surpass the original. if that version wins the monthly prize, you get up to 50% of the prize money. which is fairly substantial for animatics.
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Way ahead of you. I have already written a program which scrapes the site for every script and inserts "THE CAR EXPLODES!" and "SHE GETS OUT OF THE SHOWER, DRIPPING WET" at random places in all scripts. They can just mail me my checks. Or better yet, I will insert this into every script:

ENTER: LO-PAN. FTW!!!!!!

You know, the thing about the using the script forever though...don't you think that essentially kills all future deals you might try to make with that script? If you go to a studio with a script that is up there forever, which Amazon can use to make derivative works, etc.? I mean, what studio would take a script after you did this with it?
 
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I think we should consider the pros and cons of participating in this type of thing. At the end of the day, we should simply look at it as an exposure platform. Isn't that the point of screenwriting/filmmaking contests? Most everybody gets screwed on their first deal anyway, whether they got it through a contest or not. With that in mind, yes, you will probably be giving up a lot of control over your work if you participate (or even win) in an Amazon Studios contest. However, the pros of winning can probably be used as a launch pad to the next few phases of your career.

All in all this looks like a net benefit to indie filmmakers. The more access to the gatekeepers, the better. Right?
 
Mark Harris said:
You know, the thing about the using the script forever though...don't you think that essentially kills all future deals you might try to make with that script? If you go to a studio with a script that is up there forever, which Amazon can use to make derivative works, etc.? I mean, what studio would take a script after you did this with it?
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Yeah Mark that's what scares me the most, and Zak I know you can option it after that 18 month and so, but they will still do what ever they want with it no matter what...

That's if I decided to submit a script it would have to be something in other words that's not my baby but something I won't shoot myself over if I lost the rights forever. Example, someone can own the script for Gigli forever I wouldn't care, but imagine if you wrote Terminator 2 and gave that rights away for someone to do what ever they wanted to do for it forever...

But then again giving them a mediocre script may not be the best choice if your trying to be in it to win it, either way tough call and yup, pros and cons

Side Note: Giglie could of possible started out as a good script and got screwed in the process from Pre to Post... NAH :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
Actually, it's Amazon who can re-option it after 18 months, not you. You seem to be suggesting that once you upload a property, you've given it away to Amazon completely? I just want to be clear that that's not what's outlined in the upload agreement. They aren't suggesting they can do whatever they want with the property once you upload it. They are saying they can exhibit the screenplay or "test movie" (animatic, pre-vis, etc) you upload or new versions revised by other members forever. It's like if DVXuser.com had a policy saying that anything you post here cannot be deleted. They are not saying that once you upload your screenplay, they can take it and make a movie with it cutting you out of it. As bad as the deal sounds, I just want to be clear and not have the thing misrepresented. Not that I know all the details but I have read the agreement. It even says they cannot and will not distribute the "test movies" on dvd, blu-ray, in theaters, etc.
 
Sounds like a real lose-lose for writers. Now one has to worry about pre-sale rewrites?! And potentially from every slang-whanger and wordsmithy in sight?

Sounds pretty okay for directors tho.
 
Mark Harris said:
And if they think this is going to be a good way to end-run around Hollywood for some fresh ideas, they are in for a rude awakening. Here is the synopsis from the first one I clicked on:

"A soldier must deal with his past when he returns home from fighting the undead after the apocalypse."

LOL!
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Yeah haha I once read a script about people who enter people's dreams to get information. LOL!
 
This Amazon thing kinda reminds me of the brew-ha-ha going on in the literary world over controversial author James Frey's new "fiction factory".

http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/69474/

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/read_the_brutal_contract_from.html

Basically, similar, but much worse terms for young writers that work with his company.

So is this a new trend? These tech companies are gonna muscle in on the film industry and have crazy rules like owning our work forever or for ridiculously long periods of time, all with low or without proper compensation? At least, low compared to what Hollywood would offer a director or a writer, no matter how new they are to the game?

I do have to admit though, I have a ton of nifty story/film ideas (at least, I think they're pretty darn tootin' good) bumbling around in my head. Since I will never have time to get around to all of them, I figure I might as well write one up and put it up on Amazon just to see what happens. If I were to win a monthly prize ($20,000) or gained some real industry exposure from it, then I would probably feel okay about Amazon owning one little idea. Anyway, ideas are a dime a dozen, its the execution of the idea that counts.

I just don't think it is a good idea to submit a favorite or very personal idea to Amazon, nor a very high concept one. After taking a gander over on the Amazon Studios site, I find the possibility of someone being able to easily swipe ideas from those posted on the site to be very high.
 
In some ways, it's not that different than me putting a 12 or 18 month option on a screenplay to see if I can get it into production. Ater that period of time, the work rverts back to the owner to do what they want or I can option up again for an extended period of time. They are doing it on a mch bigger scale and stage. The only difference is what is the option pay for that period of time. I pay up front for the period of time agreed upon. But a lot of times that agreed upon amount can be anywhere from $1 to $2,500 depending on state of script, etc.

Michael
 
All previously stated concerns duly noted, it still seems to me that the Amazon offering could be helpful for total amateurs (like me) who have no connection with the industry and hence no way to get any submission even looked at. For people having the resources to make an actual full-length indie film there are certainly other considerations to make - namely those already mentioned. But for a plain, ordinary person with no connections to any industry people at all, the Amazon scheme is at least an approach that could work. Lacking that there is really no alternative I am aware of.
 
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